July 25, 2010
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Northwestern rising sophomore Nick Losole (Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale Notre Dame) captured the championship at the 86th Arizona Amateur Championship Saturday at Pinnacle Peak Country Club, defeating Jake Golembiewski on the 19th hole of the title match.
Both players traded wins back and forth until Golembiewski went 2-up after the 12th. Losole then sent his drive on the 13th into a fairway bunker, but hit a 6 iron from a tough lie to find the green and ultimately halve the hole. "When I got through 13 with a par, I knew I had a chance," Losole said.
Losole then birdied Nos. 14 and 16 to win both holes and pull back to even, but Golembiewski took the 17th to go into 18 1-up. Golembiewski played first off the 18th tee and pulled his shot left into the deep rough. Losole's drive found the middle of the fairway leaving him 247 yards to a back left hole location. Losole played his second into the front bunker and blasted his third out to two feet to put pressure on Golembiewski, whose 10-foot birdie putt slid just past the edge.
The two players headed back to the par-5 first hole, where Losole found himself on the back fringe after two shots while his opponent was in the front bunker. Golembiewski blasted out and missed his birdie opportunity, then Losole drilled his short four-footer to win the title.
"That is the type of putt you practice all the time like you are trying to win the Masters, except this time it was for the Arizona Amateur," said Losole. "I got really calm and comfortable and just told myself whatever happens, happens. Fortunately it went in."
Losole reached the championship match by first winning his round of 64 contest 2&1. He then got through the second round with a 19-hole victory before a 4&3 win in the round of 16, a 3&2 victory in the quarterfinals and a 1-up win in the semis.
Information from the Arizona Golf Association was used in this release.
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